Round Rock Represents

This Austin suburb is one of America's most affordable places to live

Round Rock is the No. 3 most affordable city in the United States.

James Howard/Wikimedia Commons

Pack your bags, y'all, we're moving north. According to a new survey from NerdWallet, Round Rock is the third most affordable city in the United States.

The financial website "investigated price variations to assess where a dollar stretches the furthest" in 100 U.S. cities. NerdWallet created indexes for income, cost of living, grocery, housing, utilities, transportation, health care, and goods and services.

In Round Rock, the median income of $68,959 (32 percent above average) is met with a below average cost of living. Residents of Round Rock enjoy below average costs for groceries, housing, utilities and transportation. And here's a fun fact for you: A bottle of white wine in Round Rock costs only $5.16, which is less than 98.7 percent of the other places in the survey.

Surprisingly, Austin is the No. 17 most affordable place in the U.S. Our median income of $54,331 (which is slightly above average) is complemented by below average costs for groceries, housing and transportation, says NerdWallet.

This isn't Round Rock's first time in the spotlight. Earlier this year Livability.com named Round Rock the best affordable place to live. The Austin suburb is in the sweet spot for affordability, balancing "higher than average salaries and lower than average home prices," says Livability.

NerdWallet named Plano the most affordable place in America, thanks to a high median income ($81,800) and a cost of living index that's slightly below average.

Other affordable Texas cities are Midland (No. 5), Temple (No. 20), Odessa (No. 21), Corpus Christi (No. 28) and Amarillo (No. 29).

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Weed News

Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas files bill protecting cannabis

Redheaded Blackbelt

Let's make it legal.

Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistant and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana